Wilhelm Scream

About the Wilhelm Scream sound

Cinema's longest-running inside joke is a single scream. Recorded in 1951 for Distant Drums, it took its name from Private Wilhelm, a character shot by an arrow in a 1953 western. Sound designer Ben Burtt dug out the original reel, used it in Star Wars, and turned an anonymous stock scream into a tradition: hundreds of films have since smuggled it in as a wink to anyone listening closely. Once you can hear it, you cannot stop. Use it for falls, for explosions, for any demise that deserves to be theatrical rather than dignified.

OriginRecorded in 1951 for 'Distant Drums'; named after a character shot by an arrow in a 1953 western.